Too close
by Lunedd
Summary: So, this is my short take on the "missing scene" in 7x20 between Danny's Legendary Ride In The Chute to Steve-Can-I-Staple. Because yes - it was MISSING. No slash, just friendship. Rated T just to make sure.


So, this is my take on the "missing scene" in 7x20 between Danny's Legendary Ride In The Chute to Steve-Can-I-Staple. Because yes - it was MISSING.

* * *

"Danny. Danny, do you copy? Are you through the chute? Are you at the basement?"

Steve tried to sound calm, composed, but he could hear Kono's silent muttering when Danny didn't answer, and knew he had failed. And then there was Makua's voice on the radio, and even before the young officer had finished the first word, Steve _knew_. He felt Kono's steadying, small but firm hand on his shoulder when Makua's words came through: " _Officer down, I repeat: officer down_."

 _Danny._

Steve tensed and brought the helicopter down as fast as possible. He heard Kono's sharp intake of breath, but didn't react to it. She was fine, he knew. But Danny? Certainly was not. Steve just _knew._

" _It's Danny, it's Detective Williams_ ", was the last of the chatter on the radio Steve noticed after he landed and before he yanked the headset off his ears and ran into the building. Now it was Lou's voice, sounding stressed and out of breath.

He raced past the SWAT team and the other HPD police officers, just in time to arrive together with a grim looking Chin down at the basement. At first, Steve couldn't see a thing; too many people were crowded into the room. Then he saw the big heap of white towels and sheets, and then... blood. Steve's heart skipped more than just one beat, and for a second it was impossible to breathe. _No. No no no._ Then there were Chin's tucking fingers on his sleeve, and Steve stumbled forward, following his teammate.

Danny was lying on the white heap, face half buried in the soft sheets, left leg bowed as if he had tried to stand up, arms loosely bent over his head, fingers curled. He was so still, and that scared Steve more than the blood on the sheets and the blood that knotted the soft blonde hair on the back of Danny's head. Lou crouched next to Danny, taking his hand now off of Danny's neck. "I got a pulse, he's alive."

Perhaps it was Steve's gone wild imagination, but he was sure that the three Five-Os sighed with relief in unison. He kneeled down next to Danny, not needing to tell Lou to move a little bit, since the older man reacted instinctively, giving Steve the space to get to Danny. It was then that Steve realized that the blood on the sheets was not Danny's, but probably that of his attacker. Not that it really mattered.

Steve felt for Danny's pulse, again, not because he didn't trust Lou's statement, but because he had to feel it for himself. Yes. Yes, there was the slow, a little bit thready pulse of life. Steve sagged for a second, then stopped Kono, who had arrived at the basement now, too, with a sudden gesture when she tried to turn Danny around. "No. Gotta check him first." Steve's words were clipped, determined, as his SEAL training, engrained in every cell of his body, kicked in. He had received rudimentary medical field training as had any other SEAL, and so he started to examine Danny, who still was alarmingly motionless.

Steve palpated Danny's neck for a dislocated or worse – broken - vertebra, then gently felt down his best friend's spine. It all felt normal, and Danny's limbs were unharmed, too, as he continued to examine his arms and legs.

It was when Steve decided that it was safe to turn Danny's head to the side so the smaller man could breathe easier when Danny regained consciousness. He groaned, limbs twitching, and before Steve could stop him - because yes, Steve wanted the paramedics to check on Danny more thoroughly before finally moving him - he pushed himself up to hands and knees, only to fold again and nearly crashing back onto the sheets, if not for Steve's fast reaction. He put a steadying hand around the other man's waist.

"Wha-" Danny croaked and squinted at Steve, struggling to get into a sitting position. With Steve's help again he finally succeeded and hissed, when he touched his aching head with a scrutinizing fingertip.

"Easy, pal, the ambulance is on the way", Steve tilted his head and looked into Danny's eyes. "Guess you've got a nasty concussion."

"Oh, really." Danny stared at his glove and creased his face into a frown at the red glistening of blood on his finger. "Not to mention that I'm probably bleeding out. Did you get him? Help me up", he demanded and although Steve tried to keep Danny down, he finally gave up and helped Danny to his wobbly feet. "Don't need no ambulance", Danny mumbled when Steve snaked an arm around Danny's waist and put the other man's arm around his neck. "Just get me to HQ and put a band-aid on or something."

Steve frowned at the clear embarrassment in Danny's voice. Was he ashamed that they had found him on the dirty laundry heap? He certainly could not be blamed for the involuntary nap! And yet he obeyed the determination he saw in Danny's blue eyes and nodded to Kono who canceled the ambulance.

"No, he escaped. But at least let Noelani take a look, okay?" Steve gently pushed Danny into the seat of the truck before climbing behind the wheel.

"Mhm." Danny had closed his eyes and turned the head to the right to keep the pressure of the headrest off the aching wound. Steve stared at his too pale face for a second before starting the engine.

He drove faster than ever back to HQ, but also ever so carefully as not to jostle Danny's already shaken body any further. And although Danny was alive, Danny was safe, his heart still raced with the shock that one of his team had once again been hurt. The echo of Makua's and Lou's words over the radio still sounded in his otherwise wiped mind:

 _Officer down, I repeat: officer down. It's Danny, it's Detective Williams._

Steve knew it would take him more than a few sleepless nights to heal what this message had done to his mind, still fragile after Lou's revelation after the almost disaster with the dirty bomb a few weeks ago. He wondered how many hits his ohana could take before they all shattered under the constant pressure. This had to end. Steve just had to figure out how to do that.


End file.
